The process of compiling the COAS discharge summary has not yet been initiated by the Defense Ministry.
The summary for the dismissal of the current COAS, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, has not yet been given by the Ministry of Defense (MoD) in accordance with Rule 12 of the Pakistan Army Act of 1954 as of the 29th of November.
On Tuesday, the Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif stated that consultations regarding the choice of the army chief will begin after November 18 or 19. He also made it clear that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) does not have a ‘preferred’ candidate in mind for the role.
Asif Ali Zardari, a former president of Pakistan and the current co-chairperson of the People’s Party of Pakistan, was speaking to journalists outside the parliament house when he dismissed rumors that he and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif were at an impasse regarding the selection of the next army chief.
Since the dialogue has not yet begun, he had previously stated that a stalemate was out of the question.
Even if the rumored deadlock did not exist, the procedure would still be clouded by uncertainty because the COAS’s retirement notification has not yet been released.
A Supreme Court ruling on the extension of the COAS revealed in 2019 that the process by which General Qamar Javed Bajwa was nominated as army head by the previous government entailed multiple steps.
On November 15, 2016, the Ministry of Defense submitted a summary to the Prime Minister about General Raheel Sharif’s retirement. On November 28, 2016, the premier recommended to the president that General Bajwa be promoted to the rank of General, and he also offered his approval for General Raheel Sharif’s retirement.
Finally, on November 29, 2016, the Ministry of Defense announced General Bajwa’s promotion and appointment as Chief of Army Staff.
This week, PTI leader Imran Khan criticized the government for amending the Army Act “for its own benefit” in light of the controversy surrounding the selection of a new army chief. further claiming that the current administration has filled all positions with people who will benefit them personally.
In spite of these rumors, government sources have told The Express Tribune there is no such plot because the president may easily veto any such amendment or law before November 27.
Since the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media department of the military, confirmed last week that COAS would doff his uniform on November 29 at the finish of his six-year tenure, the controversy over the nomination of the next leader has increased.
A political impasse has resulted from former prime minister Imran Khan’s long march, which is related to the ongoing debate. Imran has denied that his long march is intended to influence the appointment of the army chief, but political observers are skeptical.
According to precedent, the Prime Minister’s Office will be given a list of the five most qualified generals from the Ministry of Defense to choose from when selecting the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the chief of the army staff. If the prime minister is unsatisfied with the names provided, he has the option to request additional names.
Probably, the summary for the appointments of key vacancies in the military will be pushed back closer to the date of COAS retirement. It’s likely that the official announcement will be made just days before the handover of power.
In order of seniority following COAS, the next five highest-ranking generals are as follows: Lt. Gen. Numan Mahmood, President of National Defence University; Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, Corps Commander Bahawalpur; Lt. Gen. Azhar Abbas, Chief of General Staff; Lt. Gen. Asim Munir, QuarterMaster General; Lt. Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Corps Commander Rawalpindi
